ABSTRACT
This chapter tells the story of Turkish metal by exploring the informal mechanisms of cultural dissemination. The severe economic, financial, and political conditions of the post-coup d'tat era initially limited the diffusion of metal music and culture to informal practices of selling bootlegs, trading tapes, spreading flyers, organizing concerts, publishing fanzines, and broadcasting music programs on independent radio stations. During the post-coup d'tat era, Anatolian rock music, despite state-imposed restrictions, did not vanish completely. In the immediate aftermath of the coup d'tat, metal albums, music magazines, or stereo equipment entered Turkey almost exclusively via relatives and friends who were living or traveling abroad. The Turkish scene's integration into the global metal underground took place through tape trading. Tape trading often formed the basis for personal friendship. In addition to trading tapes and selling bootlegs, the production of fanzines became a crucial means of informally disseminating metal culture in Turkey.
